To say that Sarah Jennewein, 17, is a self-starter might be a bit of an understatement. Up most mornings by 6 a.m. to go running with a friend, the Robinson High School senior volunteers at local hospitals, is captain of her school’s varsity soccer team, president of the KEY Service Club, Strong Legs Service Club and Latin Honor Society and a member of many more clubs, has near perfect ACT and SAT scores, a 6.60 weighted GPA and is always looking for her next challenge. Her secret to managing it all?

“Less time on my phone, more time scheduling,” Sarah said.

Her sophomore year, Sarah even started a new club at her school – Girls Who Code.

“You always hear that the computer science field is growing but I didn’t see a lot of opportunities for girls,” she said. “Girls Who Code creates an environment for girls to feel comfortable learning about and asking questions about computer science. We get together twice a month with our mentor and spend two hours coding. It really helps open opportunities for girls who are interested in the field. This summer, we had one member who had a computer science internship and another who attended a summer immersion camp.”

Sarah says that in addition to introducing her to a group of supportive friends, starting the club has given her the confidence to start new things and helped her become more assertive.

“I am proud of the club because I started something that was not there before,” she said. “I think starting something new has given me the confidence to tackle new projects in the future.”